Criminal Justice (CJ)

CJ100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety

This course introduces students to careers in criminal justice and describes the Kaplan University public safety degree programs. The field of study, skill sets, and the criminal justice agencies and diverse populations encountered in the field will be discussed. Students will research the public safety degree program and class offerings in conjunction with their professional and personal goals in order to map out their specific degree plan and career goals. This course is designed to ensure criminal justice students have a successful social and academic transition into academic excellence within the Kaplan University community, and provide a foundation for success within the profession.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ101: Introduction to the Criminal Justice System

This course provides an overview of the criminal justice system in the United States. Students gain an understanding of the philosophy and development of the criminal justice system, the current state of the criminal justice agencies and institutions, and the issues and challenges facing them.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ102: Criminology I

This course presents a framework for studying the nature and causes of crime and antisocial behavior. It focuses on explanations provided through criminal topologies and criminological theories, using a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives. Topics range from crime causation to the extent of crime, victimization, social and psychological theories, and various types of criminality including violent, property, and public order offenses.

This course provides an overview of loss prevention problems and the security and management strategies designed to protect the private sector from crime, fire, accident, employee dishonesty, and natural disaster.

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the functions of a crime analyst and how they both differ from and complement those of a crime scene investigator or detective. You will explore crime analysis, including basic statistics, as well as methodology and procedures that have been authored by leaders in the field and endorsed by the International Association of Crime Analysts. As a result, you will gain an understanding of the history and importance of crime analysis in the law enforcement field, as well as the responsibilities of tactical, strategic, and administrative crime analysts.

This course discusses community corrections including jails, probation, and intermediate sanctions and supervision. It examines institutional corrections to include prisons, the prison experience, management and staffing, and special populations. Additionally, it analyzes correctional issues, such as offender reentry and community supervision, and discusses the legal implications of three-strikes laws and the death penalty. Finally, the course discusses the future of corrections.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ130: Introduction to Corrections

This course examines the administrative and operational aspects of modern corrections in the United States. The historical development of corrections; the philosophy of punishment and corrections; correctional institutions, programs, and services; and topics such as inmate rights and correctional staffing are examined. Contemporary issues, such as overcrowding and privatization, are also explored.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ140: Introduction to Constitutional Law

This course is designed to acquaint the student with the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and constitutional amendments as they relate to criminal law and the collection of criminal evidence. It will introduce students to criminal evidence through landmark Supreme Court cases and provide background in search and seizure and due process as they relate to criminal justice practice.

This course involves the study of the historical development of the juvenile justice system, current programs and services available to juvenile offenders, and delinquency hearings and criminal trials.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ156: Correctional Law for the Correctional Officer

This course discusses the role of the courts in relation to corrections and the types of lawsuits inmates file. It helps correctional staff understand not only the rights of the inmates but their own rights as well, and provides guidance for when staff can be sued and what is likely to occur in a lawsuit. Finally, it examines what the courts have decided about inmates' practice of religion, receipt of mail, visits, and discipline.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ180: Private Security

This course introduces you to the private security profession in the United States. Topics covered include current trends, and the role of private security compared to that of police officers. You will explore specialized security fields and career opportunities in various industries. The course also explains computer security, the organizational role for security, risk analysis, litigation, and technological advancements.

This course examines psychological profiling within the context of crime analysis. You will learn the importance of crime scene analysis, modus operandi (MO), and criminal signatures in identifying specific types of offenders. Case studies will be used to highlight techniques used in this process. This will provide you with the necessary foundation for understanding the benefits from this analytical technique.

This course explains the importance and legal significance of evidence. It demonstrates how the investigative process works, from crime scene preservation to case preparation and courtroom presentation. It also examines various techniques used during criminal investigations, such as photography, interviewing, evidence handling, and scene reconstruction, and how each applies to specific types of crimes.

This course examines the roles, responsibilities, issues, and trends related to contemporary law enforcement organizations. It also provides an in-depth look at community policing, policing in selected foreign countries, stress recognition and management, civil liability, public expectations, and police careers.

This course provides an overview of the diverse field of crime prevention with a heavy emphasis on primary prevention and a minor focus on secondary and tertiary prevention. You will explore such elements of crime prevention as physical environmental design, the role of the community and the mass media, deterrence, community policing, school programs, drug abuse issues, and rehabilitation.

This course is an introduction to information systems used within the criminal justice system at the local, state, and federal levels. Included is an overview of existing systems, the impact of technology upon criminal justice agencies, and a summary of future needs.

This course examines the constitutional protection and due process afforded every person arrested in the United States. It provides students with a thorough understanding of the U.S. justice system from the time of arrest through the sentencing of the criminal offender. In addition, this course examines such matters as victims' rights and the effects of gangs on the crime problem.

In this course, students learn how to identify the elements of a crime and to categorize crimes by type, including homicide, crimes against the person, and crimes against property or habitation. Students learn about criminal capacity, different defenses, and who may be considered parties to a crime.

This course will introduce you to the field of forensic psychology and encourages you to examine the legal system through the use of psychological concepts, methods, and research results. Topics covered include the theories of crime, the role of psychology in the legal system, the police and the criminal justice system, and the use of forensic assessments in both criminal and civil cases. Using case law and landmark Supreme Court decisions, you will explore the foundations of forensic psychology and its impact on the criminal justice system.

This course will offer students the opportunity to examine current issues, social problems, and existing research related to culturally diverse societies. Emphasis will be placed on the need for cultural awareness and diversity education, an enhanced understanding of cultural differences, and a critical thinking and research approach that correlates with the exploration of diversity as it relates to criminal justice.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ255: History of Corrections

This course discusses the history and philosophy of corrections, corrections within the criminal justice system, theories of punishment, historical responses to crime and punishment, the development and growth of the prison system, and the sentencing goals of corrections. Additionally, it analyzes special topics in corrections including juveniles, women, capital punishment, and civil commitment.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ266: Deviance and Violence

This course explores research in the field of behavioral deviance. Students analyze case studies of various types of serial killers, focusing on casual explanations, police investigative strategies, and research-based recommendations for preventing and responding to these violent acts. Students also examine the responses of the justice system and victimization profiles, along with situational factors such as victim offender relationships. This course presents a special concentration on stalking, domestic violence, abusive behavior, and public policy efforts to reduce the threat of violence.

This course is designed as the culminating experience of the criminal justice and criminology degree. This course consists of a series of assignments that integrate concepts from the criminal justice curricula. The assignments are designed to test application and critical thinking skills as students work through fact-based scenarios and analyze issues affecting contemporary practice.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: Final term or Dean approval

CJ290: Confronting Terrorism Today

This course explores the historical development of both domestic and international terrorism, provides a foundational knowledge of current terrorist groups and their tactics, and examines counterterrorism methods.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: None

CJ297: Associate's Capstone in Public Safety and Security

The capstone project applies problem-solving techniques and research skills to real-world situations by building on the criminal justice concepts that you learned in other courses. In this course, you will identify a contemporary issue in criminal justice, research the issue, analyze the situation, define possible solutions, and then recommend and defend your proposed solution.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: Final term or Dean approval

CJ299: Associate's Capstone in Criminal Justice

The capstone project applies problem-solving techniques and research skills to real-world situations by building on the criminal justice concepts learned by the student in other courses. Students will identify a contemporary issue in criminal justice, research the issue, analyze the situation, define possible solutions, and then recommend and defend their proposed solution.

Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: Last term or permission from the Dean

CJ307: Crisis Management in Terrorist Attacks and Disasters

This course will cover the methodology and rationale behind the unified response to a terrorist, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), or disaster incident within the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) systems. You will explore the management and incident command response to terrorist, WMD, or disaster events including elements of logistics, budgeting, prioritization, staffing, and support. In addition you will examine these methodologies from the perspective of crisis management and consequence management.

This course focuses on the legal challenges of cybercrime and technology-based fraud. Students learn about techniques for cybercrime investigation through real-world examples. Online intelligence gathering, the nature of evidence in high-tech crime, and tracking methodologies for cybercrime are explored. Through the use of actual cases, students examine the threats presented by hackers and high-tech terrorists, as well as the dangers presented by online pedophiles. Students will learn how to properly respond and investigate high-tech crime with current technology.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

CJ325: Psychology for Law Enforcement

The goal of this course is to provide the student with practical knowledge and information pertaining to the field of psychology within law enforcement. It will cover fundamental issues regarding crisis/hostage negotiations and the various psychological services provided to police officers by the organizations they work for. This course will aim to counter any myths about using these services by illustrating the benefits they can provide officers and their families.

This course provides the student with a historical view of the science of fingerprints, as well as a look at the struggle to develop a universal classification system. It will discuss the basic fundamentals of the formation of friction ridge skin and the functions of the different layers of human skin. As the course explores the systematic approach to processing crime scenes for latent fingerprints, the student will experience hands-on fingerprint processing techniques. In addition, various types of computer software and photography equipment will be evaluated as latent print enhancement and documentary tools. In summation, the course will delve into the actual evaluation and comparison of latent prints, ending with a discussion of the latent print examiner as an expert witness in court.

This course discusses the relationship between criminal justice and social service systems that deal with family and domestic violence, including, but not limited to, how the criminal justice, research, and social service communities work to provide a multiagency approach to this devastating issue.

This course discusses the fundamentals of morality and ethics in the context of applied criminal justice. You will gain an understanding of ethics within the criminal justice system, ethical reasoning, as well as contemporary ethical issues faced by practitioners and organizations. Strategies for controlling public corruption, how to utilize the pillars of justice and the law enforcement code of ethics, and tools to evaluate noble cause corruption will also be discussed.

This course combines state-of-the-art behavioral theory with numerous cases that allow you to identify and resolve personnel and organizational problems. It prepares you for effective police management and supervision.

This course provides an overview of technology, special populations, and sentencing paradigms in twenty-first century corrections. Additionally, the impact of politics in corrections is covered including how policy making can affect the accreditation of correctional facilities and administration of a diverse inmate population. The course focuses on ethical dilemmas that can occur in a variety of correctional settings.

The course provides an introduction to homeland security and the agency role in preparing national security for threats of domestic and international terrorism. This role ensures homeland security management and operational assistance for federal, state, and local agencies. The goal of this course is to ensure students develop an understanding of how the Department of Homeland Security prepares and addresses domestic and international terrorism. The student should be able to apply this knowledge from both an academic and practitioner perspective. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply this knowledge by identifying and applying homeland security management principles and practices.

This course provides students with a general overview of crime scene techniques for a basic understanding of how to process crime scenes. Students will also learn the importance of evaluating and processing evidence in order to assist crime laboratory experts.

This course enhances the student's understanding of forensic science and its application to criminal investigations. It examines the history and development of the crime laboratory, forensic services provided to the law enforcement community, and the function of the forensic scientist. It provides an overview of the various types of physical evidence commonly submitted to the forensic laboratory for analysis. Students will explore how the forensic scientist uses analytical instruments and microscopes to examine, identify, and compare chemical and physical properties of suspected drug and toxicology samples, and trace evidence (e.g., glass, soil, metal, hair, fibers, paint, flammable liquids, and explosives).

This course will cover crisis intervention and hostage situations where people are being held against their will as hostages, or in cases where a person has threatened violence or has barricaded themselves in preparation for a law enforcement response. Students will explore the reasons for the increase in school, workplace, and domestic violence and formulate comprehensive strategies to resolve the conflict.

This course examines all aspects of drug use and abuse, with the goal of providing students with the information and knowledge to identify and understand drug use and abuse from the perspective of the criminal justice system. Students will learn about the history of drug use and abuse in the United States, the impact of drugs on the human body, various theoretical explanations for drug use and abuse, current treatment and prevention strategies, as well as the business of drugs and the criminal justice system's response in terms of law enforcement and public policy.

This course provides an overview of the juvenile justice system in the United States. It focuses on the design and application of the juvenile justice system. Upon completion of the course, you will have a full understanding of the interrelationships among philosophy, notions of causation, and procedural requirements provided to youthful offenders and abused children. You will also be able to discuss and identify diversion and prevention programs, the effects of incarceration, and possible alternatives to incarceration. Last, the future of juvenile courts and the juvenile justice system will be addressed.

This course provides an introduction to probation, the most common response to criminal offenders, and parole. As the problem of prison overcrowding continues, probation and parole will expand, and so will the controversy surrounding their use. You will gain an understanding not only of probation and parole history, administration, policy, and procedures, but also areas of controversy. The course also provides insight into the difficult but interesting work performed by probation and parole officers.

This course discusses the history of probation and parole, the modern era of probation and parole, and contemporary probation and parole issues. Additionally, this course examines the different types of intermediate sanctions, including fines, restitution, restorative justice, house arrest, electronic monitoring, and community residential centers, and the effectiveness of these types of intermediate sanctions.

The goal of this course is to provide the student with practical knowledge and information to effectively mediate in a crisis situation. This course will review empirically validated approaches to crisis intervention. It will describe the evolution of crisis intervention as a field, theoretical bases, and the role of law enforcement in crisis situations. In addition, assessment and diagnosis of psychological issues commonly found in crisis situations will be covered.

This course deals with concepts and theory in the field of organizational behavior. The course focuses on the historical perspectives of organizational theorists, theories of motivations and leadership, and future trends and developments in modern organizations.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: None

CJ445: Case Management

This course provides an overview of case management approaches within a juvenile justice context. Students will explore the use of case management strategies to reduce recidivism, prevent unnecessary incarceration, and address problematic issues facing juvenile offenders. Students will examine the use of a comprehensive range of treatment perspectives and alternative sanctions, and understand the complexities of integrating multidisciplinary services. Additional topics include case management models and related components; managing caseloads while working with schools, courts, parents, and service providers; effective communication and relationship building; selecting appropriate intervention strategies; and traditional and innovative community-based prevention and treatment approaches to youth sentencing.

In this course, students will engage in an independent, directed-studies project focused on a student-submitted topic of inquiry. The student will select a project or topic for inquiry which is of interest and relevant to her/his professional goals.

In this course, students will engage in an independent, directed-studies project focused on a student-submitted topic of inquiry. The student will select a project or topic for inquiry which is of interest and relevant to her/his professional goals.

In this course, students will engage in an independent, directed-studies project focused on a student-submitted topic of inquiry. The student will select a project or topic for inquiry which is of interest and relevant to her/his professional goals.

This course covers fundamental research methodologies in criminal justice. You will study topical areas including research purposes, measurement of variables, and hypothesis design. Additionally, research designs, population and sample development, and data collection techniques will be discussed. Finally, you will understand the importance of research ethics, and preparing and reading research studies.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: CJ101; may not be taken concurrently with CJ499

CJ492: Bachelor's Capstone in Corrections

This course is designed as the culminating experience of the Bachelor of Science in Corrections. This course comprises a series of assignments that integrate concepts from the corrections curriculum. The assignments are designed to test application and critical thinking skills as students work through fact-based scenarios and analyze issues affecting contemporary practice.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: Final term or Dean approval

CJ499: Bachelor's Capstone in Criminal Justice

This course is designed as the culminating experience of the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. This course comprises a series of assignments that integrate concepts from the criminal justice curriculum. The assignments are designed to test application and critical thinking skills as students work through fact-based scenarios and analyze issues affecting contemporary practice.

Quarter Credit Hours: 6 | Prerequisite: Last term or permission from the Dean